8 Annoying Peeves That Make a Flight Attendant Go Berserk

Flight attendants; what a wonderful job that must be. They all look so well groomed and glamorous, gliding up and down the aisle of the plane, dispensing food, drink and comforting words in a calm and efficient manner.

Well, the reality is just a little different. Beneath the calm exterior there are many things that make a flight attendant go berserk. Here are their top 8 annoying peeves.

Passengers Who Won’t Sit Down for Take Off

How many times have you been in your seat, all buckled up and ready for take-off? Then the announcement is made – “Will the remaining passengers take their seats, as the pilot is waiting to taxi to the runway?” You look around and there are a handful of passengers still standing up, totally oblivious to the requests of the flight attendants.

Passengers Who Don’t Sit in Their Allocated Seating

Nowadays, most airlines give you the option to choose your seat when you you’re making your booking. Alternatively you will be allocated your seat on check-in. So why on earth do people then choose to sit in a totally different seat once they are on the plane? This failure to comply leads to much confusion, anger and arguments when the person who has been allocated that seat arrives. Guess who has to sort out this problem? Of course, the flight attendant!

Passengers Who Don’t Know How to Use a Call Button

Some passengers seem to lose their common sense as soon as they board an aircraft. Everyone knows that the call button above your seat is there to summon the flight attendant if you need their assistance. So why do some passengers feel the need to shout out when they want some assistance or even worse, poke the flight attendant as they walk by?

Hanging on to Rubbish for Grim Death!

Flight attendants make regular trips up and down the aisle, collecting rubbish in a bid to keep areas clean and to save time when turning the plane around for the next flight. However, many passengers seem to hold onto their rubbish as if it were the crown jewels. Why? Surrounded by newspapers, empty drinks cartons, half eaten sandwiches and sweet wrappers – surely you would prefer the flight attendant take it all away?

People Who Think the First Stop on the Plane is the Toilet

There are always a handful of passengers who board the plane, dump their luggage in their seat and then try to walk up the aisle in the opposite direction of boarding passengers, simply to visit the toilet. This not only holds up the rest of the passengers finding their seats but it can also delay the flight status or departure time of the plane.

Bringing Heavy and Outsized Hand Luggage on to the Plane

Many airlines have strict weight or size restrictions regarding hand luggage. However, there always seems to be one or two passengers who have somehow by-passed this and who struggle onto the plane with their rather heavy or large bag. There are restrictions for a reason. If a piece of hand luggage cannot fit under the seat or in the overhead locker it is a health and safety risk, particularly in an emergency when anything left loose could go flying around the cabin, causing injury.

Passengers Who Don’t Know When to Stop Drinking

Many people are not aware that the pressurised atmosphere in an aircraft cabin means that the effects of drinking alcohol are heightened. Despite this being widely publicised, flight attendants often have to deal with drunken and abusive passengers who can make life very difficult for both the attendants and their fellow passengers. All too frequently, attendants have to deal with violent situations.

Complaining About the Food

Many passengers complain about the quality of the food served to them. Flight attendants do not prepare or cook the food and have absolutely no control over the quality. However, they have to take the flak on every flight, from passengers who think that airline food should be the same quality as that served in a restaurant.

In-Flight Conclusion

Working as a flight attendant is not plain sailing. The training is hard and the responsibility is great. Despite often having to manage difficult passengers, flight attendants calmly help to make your flight as comfortable as possible, whilst always being on the alert for safety issues that could affect you or the aircraft. Yet most passengers will only ever see the true worth of a flight attendant when there is an unwanted emergency.

About the Author:

Williams Barry is an aeronautical engineer with more than a thousand hours of flying under his belt. Presently, he is working as a freelance consultant and editor, advising airline companies on how to improve and grow their business. Aviation is his passion and so is writing. He writes about situations that make flying memorable and his tips are rolled out of his years of experience in the field.